The History of the Four Caliphs

by Muhammad ibn Afifi al-Bajuri, Mohammed Mohammadi (Translator)

This book is a concise and immensely satisfying historical account of the first four caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, who because of their rectitude, became known as the “Rightly Guided Caliphs” (may Allah be pleased with them).

The author provides a clear and fast-paced account of the battles and internal struggles of the four caliphs, as well as that of the fifth, Hasan ibn Ali. He avoids long excursions into the technical intricacies and obscure historical detail found in longer books. However, he refreshingly puts forward a balanced and convincing analysis of the contentious issues involving the four caliphs, such as Ali ibn Abi Talib's delay in giving the pledge, the insurgency against Uthman, the battles of the Camel and Siffin, and the disputes between Ali and Muawiya. May Allah be pleased with them all.

The author’s (popularly known as Shaykh Khudari Bak) analysis leaves the reader with a clear understanding and helps to increase the love and respect for the Prophet of Allah and his Companions.

This book will surely satisfy your curiosity about the immediate period after the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) departure from this world. It will relieve your heart of any confusion you feel about the events of that time. This is a book written for readers of any age, hence an inspiring read for the young and old alike.

Genres: Islam, History, Religion, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kamran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise and interesting history of the first four Caliphs of Muslims, also known as Khulfa-e-Rashideen. The book mainly covers the reigns of the Caliphs and their deaths; however, it doesn't provide much information about their earlier lives. The author is very careful in not delving into controversial topics or events.

[Siti Nur Aishah Aleyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book i read regards with the four caliphs and we knew that after Abu Bakar, the unity of muslim started to shaken over the leadership. Ive read a few that took explanation or narration far abit off the fence that to me was unnecessary for the author to indicate in the book but this one it was justly written with facts legit resources and most importantly the author to gather and remind the reader to not dispute and make wrong impression of the four caliphs for they were the righteous companion of our prophet. Love this book def a keeper.

[Khalillaher]

I've been wanting a good resource to make sense of the period immediately following the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him), and this book sure delivers! It's neither too bloated in that it becomes a chore to read nor overly simplified in that it's hard to take serious. In its level of detail I thought it just right. Going through the book you definitely get a feel for what made these men as great as they were, yet you never lose touch of the reality that these were men - men who were schooled by the best of teachers but who would each face their own unique and novel challenges. In conclusion, I thought the author has done an outstanding job mixing his own narrative with quotes from the individuals under discussion, and I would most definitely include this book in my list of must-reads for all Muslims who enjoy reading.

[Hanie Noor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book is giving me a hard time 😂 but I finish it anyway. I don’t fancy the author’s writing style because it’s kinda too wordy and the jargon used are hard to understand (most or the parts just left me clueless) . However, I did learned a lot through this book especially when I’ve studied about the Rasyidun Caliphate during my secondary school but this one is a more detailed timeline events.

I was really drawn into the battles (Ubullah, Hirah, Azerbaijan, Alexandria, and etc) during Caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar Al-Khattab. It was era of unity during their rulings while era of tribulations during Caliphate of Ali. Overall, this book is not for beginners because the storyline itself is quite confusing and if you don’t have strong basic in Islamic principles you might misunderstood (swipe left to see what I mean). Fatimah died and Ali didn’t say a word about it??? 🤯